I worked across the street from them and with teachers who had been there. They pay low, even for Sharjah, and good luck on visas because there HR is abysmally slow; like many other HR's in the area. Some teachers I knew said they were on tourist visas for about 5 months before getting their labour card and residence visa.

You have to also remember you get accommodation but it's in Muwailah Industrial area of Sharjah. Basically like living in the bad part of town in a large city. It quite dirty, sandstorms cause on the edge of Sharjah, mainly Indian and Pakistani area, and not much as far as shopping close by. If you want to go to Dubai from Sharjah be ready to pay an additional 20 AED fee on top of whatever the taxi fare is (i.e. it cost about 30 AED to get to the Dubai Airport from there and with the fee is 50 AED).

Muwailah is not much cheaper now due to the influx of Indians and Pakistanis from Dubai because of the 40% rent increases, thanks to Expo 2020. Sharjah was cheaper in rent but now you have to go to Umm Al Quaimm or Ras Al Khaimah.

The wage is bad, I made 13,000 AED per month and add in the accommodation expense, it was over 16,000 per month. Westerners in Sharjah make a minimum of 10,000 AED; Pakistani and Indian make around 3,500 AED; other Arab make around 7,000 AED.

Plus they probably won't have you as a teacher on the labour card, most schools don't in Sharjah because you have to do a practical before the Sharjah Local Education Department and that takes quite a bit of time. So you will be listed as an "Education Specialist", "Administrative Officer", or even a "Customs Clerk"; you won't be probably listed as an official "Teacher". But then this goes back to the point of working on the Tourist Visa, which every school does at least for a month if not the entire school year. I worked with a teacher whose wife never got her labour card or residence visa the entire school year and we are at a highly regarded school!

Not giving you gloom and doom but until you are on the ground here; you better watch out. If you get caught on the Tourist Visa working; you will be banned and deported, plus fined. Now if the school has some wasta you will be fined and they pay it but if you aren't in their best interests; you will be "toast".

If you have a teaching license go to Abu Dhabi, if not go to Dubai schools, or Ajman. I have lived in Sharjah for a year and I am looking to live outside of the area, but I will be working in a new school in Sharjah (better position). Wesgreen, like others, will say you get around 20 contact hours but you will work 28 to 30 contact hours, have additional duties when you do have free periods, and will be required to "coach" extracurricular activities without any additional pay.

So if you get paid 7,000 AED; you are getting "slave" wages as stated above because when you add in all the extra time you give; you will be making peanuts. Plus Wesgreen likes to "cut" teachers at the end of the term, meaning you'll be out of a job and forced to either find another one or be forced to leave.

Ajman? Not sure about that. Anyone planning to teach in UAE needs to carefully research the school no matter where it is.

There is a school in Ajman called The First Academy that I would definitely not recommend! It’s supposed to be an ‘American curriculum’ school though most of the teachers are unqualified and are non-native speakers of English. The only thing ‘American’ about the school is the books, which are way over the head of most of the students (Emiratis), especially the younger grades. The school is run the traditional Arab way-no way American.

One teacher (non-native speaker) there was teaching 27 periods per week (though the legal maximum is 24) and was getting paid only 3,000 dirhams a month. Another was teaching 32 periods per week and getting paid 3,500 dirhams a month then told her salary would be cut. Both teachers had extra duties, including covering for an absent teacher. HODs (Heads of department) have to teach at least two classes – 16-24 periods a week and do cover. Even the vice principal had to do cover (vice principal quit- reasons unknown). Some staff members were either not paid for months or did not get what they were fully entitled to upon leaving the school.

Another school in Sharjah- International School of Creative Science- also overworks the teachers. This school has a bad reputation (workload) and has a high turnover every year.

There is no proper cover system in most schools in UAE. You could be a librarian and have to cover for a swimming class (no exaggeration- it happened) or have only one period free and have that taken from you to cover for an absent teacher (and absenteeism rate is high).

Once again, choose your school carefully, unless you don’t mind working like a slave.

Ajman? Not sure about that. Anyone planning to teach in UAE needs to carefully research the school no matter where it is.

There is a school in Ajman called The First Academy that I would definitely not recommend! It’s supposed to be an ‘American curriculum’ school though most of the teachers are unqualified and are non-native speakers of English. The only thing ‘American’ about the school is the books, which are way over the head of most of the students (Emiratis), especially the younger grades. The school is run the traditional Arab way-no way American.

One teacher (non-native speaker) there was teaching 27 periods per week (though the legal maximum is 24) and was getting paid only 3,000 dirhams a month. Another was teaching 32 periods per week and getting paid 3,500 dirhams a month then told her salary would be cut. Both teachers had extra duties, including covering for an absent teacher. HODs (Heads of department) have to teach at least two classes – 16-24 periods a week and do cover. Even the vice principal had to do cover (vice principal quit- reasons unknown). Some staff members were either not paid for months or did not get what they were fully entitled to upon leaving the school.

Another school in Sharjah- International School of Creative Science- also overworks the teachers. This school has a bad reputation (workload) and has a high turnover every year.

There is no proper cover system in most schools in UAE. You could be a librarian and have to cover for a swimming class (no exaggeration- it happened) or have only one period free and have that taken from you to cover for an absent teacher (and absenteeism rate is high).

Once again, choose your school carefully, unless you don’t mind working like a slave.

UKoK is spot on. I only mentioned Ajman because if someone wanted to try out in the UAE, Ajman is easier to get into. But as you stated "buyer beware". The whole concept of cover is ridiculous and though some schools have "cover teachers", they tend to get rid of them because the school figures out they can abuse the regular teachers instead.

"The National", one of the UAE newspapers, had a story that stated the UAE will need around 56,000 more teachers to effectively teach what is needed. But of course if the institutions employing teachers don't change their ways, you will never get 56,000 decent teachers. Bottom line, schools and parents blame the teachers for everything while the students, institutions, and parents shrug any of the responsibility.

The salaries UKoK mentioned are typical for Central Asian teachers, Indian and Pakistani. Remember here is depends on where your Passport is from and your birthplace. I worked with an American, who came from Morocco over 20 years ago, but his US Passport says he was born in Morocco. Hence is salary is reduced because he is not considered a "American".